H appy New Year… (a little belated). It is going to be a great one! What a way to start the new year. The first Board meeting of the New Year left me impressed. The meeting started like all our meetings. We met at our usual place and in the same room for our November meeting. Three of our eighteen members were not able to make it due to family circumstances, personal illness or another commitment. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Shortly after 7:00 PM, after we had reached a quorum, I opened the meeting, passed out the agendas and as per usual stopped briefly to welcome board members as they joined. After stopping several times, I realized that something quite interesting had happened. Except for the seat filled by David Squires, a frequent visitor and husband of board member Maureen Squires, board members had filled all the seats, including the one occupied by an especially dedicated member attending despite a recent foot injury as evidenced by her medical boot. Realizing that we just reached the highest turnout in recent memory, I was and continue to be humbled by their commitment to our volunteer organization. All twelve could have chosen to be somewhere else or doing something else. I share this story so that you can join me in saluting them for their dedication and service. I believe that based on this and other indicators, it’s going to be a great year. No, not great, phenomenal! Thank you! This column is dedicated to those Board members that ended or started their service to the Guild in 2017. On behalf of the WCG Board of Directors, I extend my deepest appreciation to the Board members listed below for services and contributions within and beyond the formal roles and responsibilities of their positions. Your services have contributed substantially to what the Guild is today and what we will become: Robert Flory, WCG registered agent; Sue Flory, WCG Membership Committee, Chair; John Stackpole, WCG Audit Committee, and Parliamentarian, special assistant to the Board of Directors; and Lorraine Swerdloff, WCG Webmaster. On behalf of the Board, I am pleased to welcome the following to the Board: Martin Parker, Webmaster, and Lee Ann Clark, WCG Membership Committee Chair. I also acknowledge and thank Erin Cassidy, a new member, who is assisting the Board in expanding our social media presence by establishing an Instagram site, and Erin, Martin Parker, and Lorraine Swerdloff for working with the National Association of Letter Carriers to launch, promote and support the 2018 Graceful Envelope contest. IN THIS ISSUE – Membership News – Openings on the Board – Learning Opportunities – Graceful Envelope Contest Call for Entries – Treasure in Our Own Backyard – Roman Capitals – Gallery Space – March meeting information – Anniversary Exhibit information feb /mar 2018 bulletin — artwork by Maureen Squires Derrick Tabor, WCG President — artwork by Martin Parker
Transcript
Happy New Year… (a little belated).
It is going to be a great one!
What a way to start the new year. The first Board meeting of
the New Year left me impressed. The meeting started like all our meetings. We met at our usual
place and in the same room for our November meeting.
Three of our eighteen members were not able to make it due to family circumstances, personal illness or another commitment.
Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Shortly after 7:00 PM, after we had reached a
quorum, I opened the meeting, passed out the agendas and as
per usual stopped briefly to welcome board members as they
joined. After stopping several times, I realized that something quite interesting had happened.
Except for the seat filled by David Squires, a frequent visitor and husband of board member Maureen Squires, board
members had filled all the seats, including the one occupied by an especially dedicated member attending despite a recent foot injury as evidenced by her medical boot.
Realizing that we just reached the highest turnout in recent memory, I was and continue to be humbled by their commitment to our volunteer organization. All twelve could have
chosen to be somewhere else or doing something else. I share this story so that you can join me in saluting them for their dedication and service. I believe that based on this and
other indicators, it’s going to be a great year. No, not great, phenomenal! Thank you!
This column is dedicated to those Board members that ended or started their service to the Guild in 2017. On behalf of the WCG Board of Directors, I extend my deepest appreciation to the Board members listed below for services and contributions within and beyond the formal roles and responsibilities of their positions. Your services have
contributed substantially to what the Guild is today and what we will become: Robert Flory, WCG registered agent; Sue Flory, WCG Membership Committee, Chair; John
Stackpole, WCG Audit Committee, and Parliamentarian, special assistant to the Board of Directors; and Lorraine Swerdloff, WCG Webmaster.
On behalf of the Board, I am pleased to welcome the following to the Board:Martin Parker, Webmaster, and Lee Ann Clark, WCG Membership Committee Chair. I also acknowledge and thank Erin Cassidy, a new member, who is assisting the Board in
expanding our social media presence by establishing an Instagram site, and Erin, Martin Parker, and Lorraine Swerdloff for working with the National Association of Letter
Carriers to launch, promote and support the 2018 Graceful Envelope contest.
– March meeting information– Anniversary Exhibit information
f e b / m a r 2 0 1 8 b u l l e t i n
— artwork by Maureen Squires
Derrick Tabor, WCG President — artwork by Martin Parker
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The Bulletin of the Washington Calligraphers Guild is published four times per year from September - May with a special workshops issue in January.
The deadline for submissions for the April/May issue isMarch 15, 2018. We welcome your contributions. Please send high quality digital files for text, photos and original artwork (reflecting all levels, from beginner to advanced)
to [email protected]. Your submissions will be interpreted as permission to use in the Bulletin, unless otherwise specified. We will use your submissions on a space-available
basis and may reduce your artwork to accommodate available space. Mention in the Bulletin does not constitute endorsement by the Washington Calligraphers Guild.
The Washington Calligraphers Guild, Inc. is a Virginia non-profit corporation, with an IRS tax designation of 501(c)(3). The guild’s mailing address is P.O. Box 3688,
Merrifield, VA 22116-3688.
Membership renewals and inquiries can be sent to Lee Ann Clark, WCG Membership P.O. Box 425, Stevenson, MD 21153-0425 or visit our website at
www.calligraphersguild.org.
Openings on the BoardPlease consider volunteering your time and experience to assist the Board in 2018. There are several opportunities. The Board consists of positions filled by election or appointment. The terms for all elected officers is for one year and nominations are now open for President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Member-at-Large. Currently, we are seeking volunteers to serve on the nominating committee. This committee will prepare a slate of officers to present to the membership at the annual meeting in May 2018. Board member appointments proceed as described in the Bylaws, Art. VI, Sec. 4, and serve for a term coincident with the President or until the appointment of their successors. If you are interested in serving on the Board in any position send an email to Derrick Tabor and our secretary, Gilda Penn (email addresses in masthead, left). Please include “Seeking Appointment to the WCG Board” on the subject line.
washington calligraphers guild— board of directors —
A very warm welcome to our newest and renewing members. Angelamae Abbene – Marcy, New YorkAnika Ahmed – Ashburn, VirginiaToni Alaimo – McLean, VirginiaCarole A. Alameddine – Canton, MichiganChristine Anderson – Neotsu, OregonYukimi Annand – Torrance, CaliforniaPam Arthur – Hoschton, GeorgiaRoanne Baldwin – Arlington, VirginiaMarjorie K. Bannish – Inverness, FloridaLorise Baratta – Summit, New YorkElissa Barr – Brookline, Massachusetts Patricia Barrett – Stillwater, MinnesotaDeborah E. Basel – Cockeysville, MarylandJan Boyd – West Roxbury, MassachusettsSheryl Bracey – Hendersonville, TennesseeFran Brown – Longwood, FloridaAnthony Buechner – Parkville, MarylandBrenda Butler – Centreville, VirginiaKathleen Carroll – Bethesda, MarylandMary R. Carter – Washington, DCMorris Chalick – Washington, DCHuong Chu – Silver Spring, MarylandMonica Cimino – Montgomery Village, MarylandVicki Corwin – Royal Oak, MichiganPatricia Crouch – Silver Spring, MarylandJoyce B. Curwin – South Orange, New JerseyMarilyn Davis – Locust Grove, VirginiaHeather Dawson – Bethesda, MarylandDebora deCamp – Fairfax, VirginiaWalter Denn – Oakland, CaliforniaMichele DeSouza – Stafford, VirginiaDidi DiVirgilio – Washington, DCLaurie Doctor – Prospect, KentuckyAlice Drier – Monterey, CaliforniaCarol DuBosch – Portland, OregonGrace Edmands – Fort Mill, South CarolinaGretchen Elson – Fairfax, VirginiaAlbert Englehardt – Greenville, South CarolinaAnn Erickson – Cary, North CarolinaAbe Farsh – Rockville, MarylandAnn-Marie Fleming – Montrose, ColoradoBob and Sue Flory – Springfield, VirginiaBrenda Foehrkolb – Chestertown, MarylandKristian Gamble – Gaithersburg, MarylandMarian Gault – Monte Sereno, CaliforniaGuadalupe Gil – São Paolo, BrazilPatti Goodrich – Vienna, VirginiaJulie Gray – Sandia Park, New MexicoKaren Gunderson – Ephrata, PennsylvaniaSusan Groesbeck Hall – Santa Ana, CaliforniaCindy Haller – League City, TexasNancy Hart – Baltimore, MarylandSusan Hartline – Highlands Ranch, ColoradoAnn Hawkins – Washington, DC
membership newsArlen Herb – Lewes, DelawareLaurie M. Holta – Sykesville, MarylandJonathan Homrighausen – San Jose, CaliforniaAnn M. Baker Horsey – Dover, DelawarePatricia Howard – Arlington, VirginiaLily Hoy – Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaConnie Hwang – Berkeley, CaliforniaStephen Hynes – Woking, Surrey, UKAndrew Kolue Kear, Sr. – New Carrollton, MarylandAdrienne D. Keats – San Francisco, CaliforniaPatricia Keehn – Gig Harbor, WashingtonWilliam Kemp – Albuquerque, New MexicoJacqueline H. Kennedy – Mason Neck, VirginiaGerry Jackson Kerdok – Hudson, MassachusettsEunice Kim – Oxford, MarylandDelee King – Latrobe, PennsylvaniaAnne Kinnaird – Rocky Mount, North CarolinaKumi Kinoshita – Gaithersburg, MarylandElissa Krieg – Falls Church, VirginiaBecky Larimer – McLean, VirginiaBrian Leair – San Francisco, CaliforniaBarbara Leone – West Chester, PennsylvaniaAlix Levy – Garrett Park, MarylandDawnette Lewis – Hamilton Parish, BermudaVirginia Lockhart – Columbia, MarylandMelissa Luna – Manzanita, OregonPhyllis Macaluso – Ancaster, Ontario, CanadaJudith Masucci – Poland, OhioKathleen McCreedy – Royal Oak, MichiganJolene K. McNamar – Herndon, VirginiaJody Meese – San Rafael, CaliforniaCatherine Meredith – Cockeysville, MarylandCaren Milman – Rockville, MarylandKayla Moore – Vienna, VirginiaJames Morgan – Washington, DCMarilyn Moriarty – Arlington, VirginiaMaggie Naylor – Memphis, TennesseeThu Nguyen – Gaithersburg, MarylandDeanna Jay Chu Nim – Dana Point, CaliforniaKatarzyna Pajor-Seremak – Krakow, PolandJenny Paxton – Alexandria, VirginiaMelanie Payne – Portland, OregonAngela Pearcy – Wellston, OklahomaJill Pletcher – Wichita, KansasKathleen Rollick – Lafayette, IllinoisGloria P. Rosati – Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaMyrna Rosen – Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaDonna Ryan – Charlotte, North CarolinaSara Bojorge Saenz – Fairfax, VirginiaCathey Newsom Sale – Anderson, South CarolinaBarbara Sally – Upper Marlboro, MarylandKathryn Sanchez – Tustin, CaliforniaRon Schwartz – Columbia, MarylandJane Shibata – Los Angeles, CaliforniaPatti Shields – Bayville, New York
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-there are an
assortment of other classes that can be found on
the wcg website. if you are teaching
an upcoming class, please be sure to let
us know. we are happy to help spread
the word.-
WCG member Lubna Zahid is offering the following classes at McLean Community Center: — Drawing & Painting Landscapes in Watercolor — Watercolor Studio — Easy Art Journal in Pen and Watercolor ...and these classes at the Reston Community Center:
By now, you should have received a copy of our 2018 Workshops Bulletin in the mail. Class descriptions and registration information are also found on our website. Don’t miss out on these great offerings. Register soon!
SUPPORTINGLinda Abrams – Great Neck, New YorkIris W. Anderson – Silver Spring, MarylandPam Bennett – Uwchlan, PennsylvaniaCharlene Cast – Sun City West, ArizonaAnnie Cicale – Fairview, North CarolinaJodean Cooper – Tempe, ArizonaJoanne DeFiore – Rehoboth Beach, DelawareMary Evans – Glen Rock, PennsylvaniaRose Folsom – Wheaton, MarylandBernard Frieland – Columbia, MarylandBarbara Greig – Vienna, VirginiaMary L. Henderson – Burke, VirginiaDick Hull – Norfolk, VirginiaLauren Keegan – Bethesda, MarylandMiki Leeper – Middletown, VirginiaCaroline Knickerbocker – Washington, DCJanice Kozlowski – New Haven, ConnecticutMarta Legeckis – Bethesda, MarylandJodie Powell Lide – Frederick, MarylandSammy Little – Silver Spring, MarylandSandra Lumpkin – White Hall, MarylandBetsy Maguire – Savannah, GeorgiaSusan Makris – Falls Church, VirginiaFelecia Brice McFail – Alexandria, VirginiaDenice H. Nitschke – Yulee, FloridaNick Olmos-Lau – Miami, FloridaSandra Olson – Columbia, MarylandLeigh Powers – Lexington, KYSteve Racz – Pitman, New JerseyKatherine Rehm – Burke, VirginiaMarcy Robinson – Nutley, New JerseyElizabeth Simmonds – Mountain, North CarolinaJohn D. Stackpole – Solomons, MarylandCarla Tenret – Albany, CaliforniaNickie L. Williams – Washington, DCMohamed Zakariya – Arlington, Virginia
PAT BLAIR
2018 WORKSHOPS BULLETIN
MARTA LEGECKIS
BARRY MORENTZ
MAUREEN SQUIRES
LUBNA ZAHID
PAUL HERRERA
ELMO VAN SLINGERLAND
learning opportunities
- for travelers -
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Texas Lettering Arts Council is hosting a year-long study of Medieval hands with Paul Antonio and would like to extend the invitation to Washington Calligraphers Guild members.
This course is based on Mediaeval hands including Textualis Quadrata, Textualis Semi Quadrata, Fraktur, Batarde, Versals, Lombardics and Cadels. Download the Syllabus, Accommodations and tuition information can be found at http://avgraphics.net/SYLLABUS.pdf.
The 4-session course begins May 10, 2018 and ends February 24, 2019
10 - 13 MAY 2018 - (3 + Days) 16 - 19 AUG 2018 - (3 + Days) 01 - 04 NOV 2018 - (3 + Days) 20 - 24 FEB 2019 - (4 + Days)
The workshops will be held at the Nazareth Retreat Center, Grand Prairie, Texas (conveniently located between Dallas Love Field and DFW airports.Accommodations are limited and filled on a first-come-first-served basis.
Contact Angela Vangelis, Course Coordinator at 214-957-1736 or [email protected] for questions about registration and lodging.
Contact Paul Antonio at [email protected] about any questions pertaining to the course material.
wcg graceful envelopes head to singapore
This month, thanks to the efforts of
Lorraine Swerdloff, Graceful Envelope
Contest Committee, Chair, and
Lucinda Wright, Library Committee
Chair, and Archivist, WCG Graceful
Envelopes will be the centerpiece of an
exhibition at the Singapore Philatelic
Museum. The exhibit runs from
March through September 2018. If you
are interested in working with Felecia
McFail, Publicity Committee Chair,
and me (Derrick Tabor) to publicize
this event, please email us. Members
with experience in international
relations, foreign protocols, developing
press releases or working with the
local press are encouraged to contact
us. In your email include “WCG in
Singapore” on the subject line. – Book cover design and calligraphy by Joanne Wasserman
keynote speaker
Donald Jackson— sunday, july 15 —
Join us for this wonderful calligraphic opportunity.
There is still room! Visit our website at www.seattletters.org to see class offerings,
including those taught by WCG members: Yukimi Annand, Pat Blair, Annie Cicale, Lee Ann Clark, Barbara Close,
Kristen Doty, Carol DuBosch, Judy Melvin, Amity Parks, Jane Shibata, Diane von Arx and Julian Waters; view a video of
beautiful Bellingham and the Western Washington University campus; and register online for Seattletters, the 37th annual
international lettering conference.
Meet us on the West Coast this summer!Katherine Malmsten and Sue Gruhn, Co-Directors
2018 Contest Theme: Whatever The WeatherThere’s always something to say about the weather. From severe storms to sowing crops, to using the sun and wind for renewable energy, the weather affects everyone. Summon a brainstorm to
capture what’s outside your window—or outside the box—and design a winning envelope!
Transform an ordinary envelope into a work of art!
Winning artists will be listed online in early June 2018. Winners will receive certificates (no prizes will be awarded). Receipt of entries will not be acknowledged and entries will not be returned.
All winning envelopes will be displayed online. Adult winners are also exhibited at the National Association of Letter Carriers building in Washington, DC.
The 24th annual Graceful Envelope Contest is sponsored by the Washington, DC
Calligraphers Guild and the National Association of Letter Carriers.
For the complete Call for Entries and
to view last year’s winning envelopes, go to www.calligraphersguild.org.
Winners will be chosen based on artistic hand lettering, creative interpretation of the theme
and effective use of color and design, including incorporation of postage stamp(s).
There is no entry fee. Entries must be postmarked no later than Monday, March 26, 2018, and addressed artistically by hand to:
The Graceful Envelope Contest100 Indiana Ave. NWWashington, DC 20001
See www.calligraphersguild.org for complete rules.
Entries must be processed and delivered through the U.S. Postal Service as First Class Mail and may not be wrapped in a separate envelope or protective covering. You may enter only one envelope. Legibly print your name, mailing address and e-mail address on the BACK of the envelope. Students must also indicate their grade, because judges will consider entries in the following categories: * Adult * Grades 9-12 * Grades 5-8 * Grades 1-4
National Association of Letter Carriers, AFL-CIO www.nalc.org 202-662-2851
Deadline for entries: March 26, 2018
raceful EnvelopeContest
CALL FOR ENTRIES~please distribute and
share with schools~
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win
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Kat
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Call for Entries
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– Ann Hawkins
Friday, November 17, 2017 nine WCG members plus a couple of guests, shared an experience that we will not forget. We visited the
National Library of Medicine to see manuscripts from their collection selected for their variety by Dr. Stephen Greenberg, who is the Section Head of Rare Books and Manuscripts, History of Medicine Division. The age of
the selections ranged from 1094 -1780.
Before this visit, none of us knew that the National Library of Medicine, which stands on the NIH campus on Rockville Pike, has a vast collection of handwritten
documents and books, not because they are beautiful but for their relevance to the history of medicine. However,
they certainly were extraordinarily beautiful!
Here are some of the participants comments:
– Martin ParkerEspecially enjoyed the Arabic script and the finely
detailed illumination. Also Dr. Stephen Greenberg's explanations of the historical quirks of each book.
– Marta LegeckisWas thrilled to see, in an 11th century manuscript
book, a ligature for the letters t and y that I had just demonstrated in my class! Fascinated by the consistency
of the written letters.
– Mary OttoWonderful to touch these precious and ancient
manuscripts and to see the words, laid down by skilled scribes who lived so many centuries ago. The tiny
illuminated letters, highlighted with gold, in the 14th c. Liber Medicinal were particularly beautiful.
So moving to hold the letter appointing a new chief army surgeon, written from a Revolutionary War
encampment by George Washington.
– Todd A. Smith & Tracy SmithWe loved seeing and being allowed to touch the medieval
books. We are amazed that they survived for hundreds of years in such fine condition. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Dr. Greenberg tell the
histories of the books and of the library itself.
– Kathleen CarrollMost enjoyable aspect of the visit to NLM was seeing the manuscripts with individuals
who had a knowledge of, and appreciation for, the art of calligraphy. Seeing the illuminated letters gave me a great respect for the skill and craftsmanship.
Lovely experience with a talented and pleasant group. Our guide was delightful and very entertaining. I have driven past NLM all my life and never knew there are such
treasures housed there.
– Susan EastonStephen Greenberg, Coordinator of Public Services for the History of Medicine of the NLM was our encyclopedia for our tour. My “take away” was his seemingly endless knowledge of the books he showed us, as well as the books in vaults and on shelves
that we didn’t see and how the newest technology is used to care for every one of them.“They’re here because they’re medical, not because they’re pretty,” he said. Yet to me,
they were beautiful because they recorded observations, discoveries and theories in different languages and they were written by hand. Until that afternoon, I’d only seen
calligraphy of literature, poetry or scripture.continued on page 7...
A TREASURE in our OWN BACK YARD
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A TREASURE in our OWN BACK YARD
– Ann HawkinsThis was the first time I ever saw free-flowing, hand-written Arabic and tend to prefer this more than the very formal, highly decorated
lettering I’d seen before.
The group response was universally enthusiastic. When the visit was over, we walked out of that building on cloud nine. We are all
grateful to Monica Cimino for making the appointment for our group’s visit, providing us with directions for finding the library building and for going through security and for Dr. Greenberg’s
tailoring his choices to fit his audience of calligraphers.
All of the photos of Arabic calligraphy (page 6, top; page 7 top) are from the same book by al-Razi (Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi), and the brief title is
“Kitab al-Hawi fi al-tibb.” It was completed in November of 1094. The name of the calligrapher(s) and the place of production are not known.
The Latin calligraphy (page 6, bottom; above) is from the “Ysagoge Iohannitius in Tegni Galieni,” which is sometimes called the “Articella,” or the “Little Book of the
Art of Medicine.” It is a series of classic texts by different authors. It was probably done in Paris between 1210 and 1230. There were several calligraphers, but their
names are not known.
Page 6, center, is a letter written by George Washington in September of 1780.
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THE ALPHABET THAT ALMOST EVERYONE LOVES TO HATE
– Barry Morentz
How many times have you heard it said in a workshop? “Roman Capitals?? I don’t go near them!” or “Roman Capitals…I just can’t do them,” or “I really don’t need them for my work” or, best yet, “That’s not calligraphy…that’s printing!!!”
OY!
The truth is that the Roman Majuscule “Capitalis Monumentalis” is perhaps the most majestic and seductive alphabet produced in the West in over 2000 years. And it is with us everywhere we go, from street signs to advertising to government buildings and museums, and very often even unto our final resting places. It is far more than an accident of history that these sublime letterforms have traveled the corridors of time and show little, if any, hint of ever being deflected from their magnificent paths of deployment.
Yes, they ARE difficult to render with pen and ink. But let us first remember that this alphabet was originally designed to be carved in stone, not for the writing of manuscripts. The Roman alphabet evolved from Greek forms of the 5th century BC and slowly developed into the elegant and sophisticated letters that adorn the great monuments of ancient Rome and the wealthier cities scattered throughout the Roman Empire. The letters attained their highest degree of refinement during the late 1st-mid 2nd century AD when the Empire was at peace (Pax Romana) and at the peak of its prosperity. The intention was to extol the deeds and accomplishments of the emperors in as resounding a manner as possible; hence carving them in marble on the temples, arches and great public buildings explains the nomenclature of Monumental Capitals. Just as they strike fear and trepidation in neophyte scribes, so too were they meant to convey a feeling of awe and power in the viewer as he/she wended his/her way through the crowds on the way to the forum or the gladiatorial games. “Matinée today: Claudius vs Marius”
No less an authority than Sheila Waters believes that these letters are mystical and mysterious, and that “somehow you never quite get them.” What this really means is that the forms display an abundance of subtleties that are tantalizingly elusive, from the slight swelling at the heads to the even slighter swelling at the foot of the letter (a mimicry of the architectural concept of entasis, so prevalent in classical architecture), to the 4º angle off the vertical of the 1st stroke of M to the 6º of the right hand stroke. “Who cares about 4º and 6º?” Well, you do…and if you don’t, then you should. Because only then, when you begin to focus on these deceptively trivial elements does your calligraphy begin to achieve a polish and refinement that hitherto you may have only sporadically attained. Studying Roman Caps trains your hand to master greater control and touch incorporating techniques of pressure and release, and to write with strength and conviction. Your eye is likewise sensitized to correct rhythmic spacing and enables you to identify active counterspace as opposed to “dead” space that can ruin a design. A heading of beautifully rendered Romans is an immediate attention grabber, just as the emperors intended, and sets a tone of anticipation for what follows. continued on page 8...
R O M A N C A P I T A L S
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ROMAN CAPITALS con't...
Yes, the alphabet requires a commitment of time and patience. Precise, voluptuous forms in general will not magically emerge after only a 2 day workshop, but the building blocks will have been put securely in place. Augustus Caesar, who reigned 41 years, declared that he found Rome a city of brick but left it a city of marble. And was Rome built in a day? Obviously, the effort to build The Eternal City was worth it.
Barry Morentz began studying calligraphy 40 years ago, and like most normal newcomers avoided Roman Caps like the plague for the first three years. After an intensive workshop with Julian Waters he experienced The Great Awakening, and has been studiously challenged and happily seduced by these wondrous forms ever since that seminal time.
Exercitatio optimus est magister (Practice is the best instructor)
g a l l e ry s pac e
Clockwise from top right: “I did this for a wedding and the bride read it to the groom during the service. I drew the feathers with ink and colored pencil.” Leigh Powers Stephens
Bottom right: Deanna Jay Chu Nim
Above: Two details from a larger certificate by Marcy Robinson.
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Top right and left: “Jim and Nancy” card done with a Tim’s folded pen and birth announcement by Nancy Anderson. I’ve been playing with “Clothesline Lettering” and enjoying its casual, whimsical look. It works well with any monoline tool. This one is with colored pencils. Watercolor pencils also are good but must be used with a waterproof pen for the lines.
Center right: Arabic calligraphy by Anika Ahmed titled A Beginner’s Mesk (Turkish word for calligraphic practice). Japanese ink on glossy paper.
Bottom right and left: Two pieces by Linda Abrams
gallery
space
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nonprofit org.u.s. postage
paidmerrifield vapermit no. 742
march meeting
p.o. box 3688, merrifield, va 22116 • www.calligraphersguild.org
address service requested 3 / 2018
wednesday eveningmarch 7, 2018 • 7:00 pm
surrealism 101Rebecca Schoenthal, PhD will present a lecture on Surrealism,
the theme of WCG’s upcoming 40th Anniversary Show to be held at The Mansion at Strathmore in June of this year. We are presenting
this as we would like to encourage broad participation in our complementary calligraphic section of the Surrealist Inspired Exhibit. This is a unique opportunity for us as artists to challenge ourselves to
create work around a specific theme. From the speaker:
This lecture will cover the origins and founding of French Surrealism in the 1920s, including a discussion of the context in which artists and poets began working in this vein. I will present examples of
strategies by which the artists accessed, or attempted to access, their unconscious thoughts and feelings and an examination of the art works that were the result of these exercises. The lecture will also cover some of the recurrent themes and subjects that the artists
tackled and look at the diversity of ways in which artists and poets expressed these themes.
Please note that this event will not be at our usual Program Meeting location, but will be held at:
theatre on the run3700 south four mile run drive • arlington, virginia
Parking is in the back of the building and handicap parking is directly in front of the door, at the rear of the facility.
